


Blood Moon

by kn96Archive



Series: Possession [1]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider SPIRITS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, BADAN is somehow a church now, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Dead People, Guns, M/M, Mikage is a priest by occupation, Mild Gore, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, mild religious theme, mild violence, people turned into vampires, vampires and vampire hunters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:01:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27329950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kn96Archive/pseuds/kn96Archive
Summary: Under the moonlit sky, wolves howling in the distance accompanies the night time.But beware of the things hidden in the shadows that stretches beyond the reach of the light.
Relationships: Mikage Eisuke/Murasame Ryo
Series: Possession [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995418
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

The night is deep and dark, bright silver moon hanging in the sky casting inky black shadow in every corner. The night air is chilly at this hour. The sound of wild wolves howling can be heard from afar. Under the moonlit sky stood a lone man dressed in long black coat. Smoke from his cigarette envelopes him, forming a wispy barrier.

The man stood still, unmoved. His calm visage betrays no emotion.

His eyes flicks at the faintest sound - a scratch of the ground. Taking a drag of his cigarette, the man seems unbothered. However he is not to be taken lightly. A particularly strong gust of wind shook the trees in the perimeter. The momentary shift in shading reveals _creatures_ hidden in the dark side of the tall trees. The man is effectively surrounded by them, escape doesn't appear possible. Yet the man remains unperturbed; sharp eyes scanning the area, silently calculating his move.

Silence fall. Both parties waiting for the right time to strike.

Thick cloud blows over the moon.

Bloodthirsty growls fill up the darkness.

Gunshots rang in the still air.

Silence.

When the clouds pass, multiple bodies can be seen littering the ground in a pool of their own blood.

A glint of silver reflected off of the man's gun as he slips it back under his coat. Taking the last drag of his cigarette, he flicked the remains away, joining the bullet shells scattered at his feet.

As the howling dies out, the man walks away.

\---

The church is quiet at this time of the night. Occasionally soft steps of the priests on duty and hooting of the owls can be heard. Both are _night owls_ , in different sense of the word. And more often, active priests like him - _Hunters_ \- can be seen loitering around the place. However tonight, only he is awake.

He prefers to hunt alone; less hassle, less resource wasted. He's a lone wolf, through and through.

(Though according to his one close friend, he's more of a lone _tiger_ , prowling around his turf.)

The hunters are a group of specialized priests, trained to kill non-human creatures. Out of the various species currently exist the one that poses the most trouble is the _vampire_. Vicious, bloodsucking creatures that mainly preys on human. Not much is known yet, but from past data they seem to be divided into several classes. Each class varies in terms of power levels, toughness and abilities.

Fortunately, it wasn't his job to painstakingly dissect and catalogue each and every vampire that came his way. That's Needle's, and the rest of the research team's job. They're basically a bunch of mad scientists affiliated with the church.

That aside, his job scope is pretty simple - search and kill, to put things in a very rough and _stupid_ way.

A black cat run past his feet, straight into the bushes while carrying what looks like a dead rat between it's jaw. _They really should give the rat problem a check._ Unless if they want to have rat infestation on top of vampires hoarding the village.

_The vampires_. They've been increasing in numbers as of late. In direct relation to that, nearby villages also reports an increase in cases of missing persons.

Certainly a point to ponder. Too close to be a mere coincidence.

The age of the victims ranged from young teens to late adults - all are physically capable. Among the victims are those identified to have special skills or set of knowledge (doctors, scientists, soldiers, and the likes). The villagers are overtaken by anxiety, _who's next?_ Some of them are beginning to leave the village in hopes of escaping the shadow of fear that looms over them.

Poor souls, they have no ideas.

Those who have gone missing did return. But not as themselves. Not as _humans_.

As _vampires_.

Investigations seem to point it towards the works of a _single_ , likely ‘pureblood’ vampire. Though there is still a possibility of multiple vampires working together, that which is a very rare case. Vampires are highly egotistical, especially the purebloods. They are not known to work together in _any_ situation. However, there are cases of lower levels vampire forming gangs.

For what reason, for what purpose, they don't know. The church alliance is doing all they can to unravel the mystery (though to what extent, he can't say. Corruption prevails anywhere.)

_Creak-_

Hm?

The sudden sound pulls his attention away.

_Creak-_

Again. From where?

Following the sound, his feet brought him to the church's main hall. The great wooden doors are slightly ajar, and the night wind blowing through causes it to swing on its hinges.

_Strange,_ the hall should be locked tight by now. They don't have any use for it at night.

Upon closer inspection, he can see the wood splintered at the locks, along with what looks like a rough claw marks.

His eyes widen for a split second. _Something has gotten in_. Looking around, he couldn't spot any blood stains or other signs of damage. Feeling for his gun kept under his coat, he still has enough bullets left for this. Cautiously, he nudged the door open, stepping inside.

Sound of wind blowing echoes in the wide hall. Bright moonlight streaming in from the tall stained glass window paints the space in a myriad of colours.

Another step.

Faintly, he begins to hear something different under the howl of the wind. The sound of someone's harsh breathing, like they have been deprived of the oxygen they lived on.

Another step and the sound abruptly cut off with an audible gasp.

"..-Please, don't come any closer-"

A weak plea reached his ears, the deep, raspy voice just barely heard.

He knows that voice. No matter how long, there's no way he'd mistaken it for anyone else's. That voice had left such an impression in him.

_"Good morning, Father. How are you today?"_

_"What 'sins' have you come to confess this time?" Every few days, without failing. At this point he knows everything about the man - all his insecurities and failures. Yet they never spoke to each other face-to-face. It is the kind of strange relationship that somehow works for them._

_Murasame Ryo. He'd known the name not from the person himself, but from the ones around him. Apparently he lived here long before he came, and had been away for some time. Travelling, so they say. No news, nothing. Then suddenly he returned unannounced._

_The man was..hurt, then. Somehow. No one knows the exact details and he suspects that some part of the story had been exaggerated at some point._

_A light chuckle follows. "Is dropping by to say 'hi' a sin to you?"_

_"Depends on the purpose and intention of the gesture." Lighting a cigarette, he casually carries on with the conversation._

_"You're smoking in the booth again? How irresponsible." The man exclaimed, words tinged with exasperation. "You'll be reprimanded again, you know."_

_Tch, Gamon can go suck it. "That old fart can't touch me."_

_A long sigh. He can picture the man with his hand on his chest, shaking his head in disapproval._

_Puffs of white smoke seep out through the gaps of the carved wooden walls of the booth. For a moment, comfortable silence fall in between them._

_"..Yesterday-" He instinctively turns towards the voice, tone considerably changed from moments before. "-Yesterday, another one died. The same presentation, the same way."_

_He listened quietly, letting the words flows through him._

_"I know what you wanted to say - 'It's not your fault' - but still, I wished I had been able to do something more. Just watching over them passes away like that is just terrible."_

_Such a pure soul - that had been his thought since the first few times they met. But the man is in no way naive, he knows the dark side of the people, and he admit that he has one as well. Still, he strived to do good to others. Sometimes at the cost of himself._

_"It can't be helped. Some things are just outside of our capabilities. What we humans can do is awfully limited." The unwavering truth. Human are powerless. And he, for one, had no hopes whatsoever for this race. "Just pray."_

_"..Do you?"_

_"You know the answer to that."_

_"You're a strange man, Father." A pause filled with soft breathing. "I do, even for you."_

_"Thank you, I suppose." Still thinking of others even when he's the one having troubles._

_Rustles of fabric against the wooden chair of the booth came from beside him. "I guess I have to take my leave now. If I'm out for too long, Dr Kaido would get worried again. The clinic is really busy too these days. Have a good day, Father."_

_"Aah."_

_And that was the last time they met. Exactly a month - a month of no news._

_'He'd been taken away,' The village women whispered in hushed voices._

_It wasn't until the doctor and his adopted daughter themselves came bashing on his door one night that he finally believed the rumours._

_"It isn't like you to be mulling over one person like this. You're sure you're right in the head?" Words of concern, one might say. Though the wide shark-like grin that accompanied the sentence gave off an entirely different vibe._

_Maybe. Maybe not. But he's not crazy enough to let Needle touch his head in any way._

Something stirred inside him at the way the man's voice sounded. He sounds like he's in pain.

Focusing his eyes to where the voice came, he can make out a silhouette of a person sitting with his back against the altar of the hall.

"Where have you been?"

"..Father? Is that you? I'm sorry, I couldn't recognize you." A beat followed by another laboured inhale. "I-I don't know. I couldn't recall anything..."

"How long have you been like this?"

He waited for the other to catch his breath. "..A week? Maybe more. I locked myself indoor, afraid that I'd hurt someone if I don't. My body feels like it's on fire, and-" A gasp. The tone of his voice rising with panic, "-And I have this strange _thirst_ for blood. What is happening to me?"

_Just as I thought, eh?_

There's no sense of achievement over that realisation. But one thing nagged him; those who returned wrong never retained their sense of self, and those who do dies within a few days. Rejection, perhaps.

"You're turning into a vampire." The words fall out in his usual monotone.

"I am _what_?" Before the man can say anything more, he interjected.

"Though, going by what you say, you've been _starving_ yourself for over a week. On top of that, you still haven't lost your mind."

Strange indeed. He can see Needle grinning like a shark at the back of his mind. Slowly he began to step closer towards the man.

"..I don't know if I should be surprised at how _casual_ you sounded." Lost in the haze of hunger, the man didn't notice.

He withdraws a silver blade from under his coat and made a cut across his left forearm, letting the blood flow freely down his hand. The strong scent of blood seem to shook the man to his core, punctuated by a sharp gasp.

"-What are you doing?"

"Beats me." His blood dripping onto the floor, staining the formerly pristine surface in bright scarlet. He watches the accumulating pool in disinterest. "What do you think?" He takes another step closer.

"Stop - Please stop this!"

Stopping just before the man, he crouched down. He put his right hand on the altar, caging the man in.

The man's eyes glittered like emeralds with an uncanny light within. Being this close, he can feel the waves of heat coming from the man's body.

He looks awfully pale.

A pair of hands shot upward against his chest meaning to push him away however it was barely making a dent. Perhaps because he had been starving for too long, he'd probably spent the remaining of his energy to get here.

Grabbing both hands, he pinned them above the man's head. The position caused the man to arch his back just slightly.

"Father..?" The man trembled in his hold, voice pleading.

_Ah_ , a familiar pang in his guts. _How ironic_. Maybe he's not as sane as he first thought, after all.

He bites his tongue hard enough to bleed.

"Don't struggle to much, or else you'll get hurt."

"What-"

The rest of the sentence never came, pushed down his throat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

Morning comes with the gentle warmth of the sunlight, rising slowly from the horizon. Birds chattering as they fly out of their nests to wherever they may find food.

It is the very picture of a peaceful morning. However, the same can't be said elsewhere.

Earlier than even the sun, he woke up from a dreamless sleep. Out of routine, regardless of his condition. The feeling he got was akin to climbing out of a deep hole; he woke up sluggish and disoriented. What more the moment he opens his eyes he was greeted with unfamiliar environment. Looking around, he found himself in a bedroom that wasn't his own.

Squinting his eyes against the headache shooting through his skull, he slowly adjusts his focus. The room is simply furnished with the bed he's laying in, a wardrobe and a work table. Heavy curtains adorning the windows are tightly shut, blocking stray sunlight.

He pushes himself up into a sitting position which much difficulty. Shaking his head once, he tried to rid himself of the headache. Looking down on himself; looks like nothing is out of place..-

_Eh?_

The shirt he's currently wearing is _definitely not_ his own.

Beads of cold sweat start to form.

_What- what happened last night?_

Frantically, he searched his memory, navigating through the thick haze clouding them.

_He remembered trudging through the thick forest at the outskirts of the village. The cold night air bites at his skin, however it wasn't enough to quell the fire burning from inside his body._

_Wolves howling in the distance sound much closer than they really are. Every single brush of the leaves are acutely sharp to him, grating on his already frayed nerves. His eyesight is similarly strange with red tingeing the corner of his fields._

_It was hard to breathe._

_The next thing he noticed was how terribly enticing the scent of human blood was to him._

_That alone was enough for him to lock himself in out of fear he might attack someone._

_He didn't know how much time passed until it became unbearable. Slowly he's losing his grip on reality. Something was threatening to claw its way out of him._

_Somewhere in between then and after, he found himself tumbling outside of the church's hall. Sound judgement was no longer with him at the time, simply moving forward on pure instinct._

_It didn't occur to him just how easily he tore open the heavy wooden door._

_He didn't know why his feet brought him here. By then, he can only pray._

_Maybe it was his prayers that brought the priest to him._

_"Where have you been?"_

_The familiar timbre of the priest's voice brought some clarity to his mind._

_Though he's not sure which part of his prayers that was answered to when the priest cut himself._

_The scent of his blood was strong enough to send him reeling._

_He was weakened enough to be easily man-handled by the priest, powerless against his unyielding presence. He was thoroughly stunned by the action he could only brace himself for whatever may happen._

_"Don't struggle too much, or else you'll get hurt."_

_The priest's eyes glowed yellow from the reflected moonlight, the sharp gaze seem to pierce right through his soul._

_His faint protests that follow were effectively silenced when his lips were sealed with the priest's own._

His hand flew over his mouth at that particular memory.

_Oh my-_

He still can taste the priest's blood on his tongue.

A soft groan to his right startled him out of his musings. Looking to that side had him stifling a shriek.

The man in question is _just right beside him_ , lying prone with his face half buried in his pillow. _Shirtless_.

_What is this situation?!_

Brows drawing in, grumbling as if telling him his thoughts are too loud.

Sucking his breath in he chose to stay as still and quiet as possible so to not wake the sleeping man up.

Soft breeze blows through a slight crack in the window, fluttering the curtain. Birds singing in the garden just outside the room, sounds of their flapping wings audible as they pass near to the windows. An inordinate amount of time passed spent watching the steady rise and fall of the priest's back. His usually slicked back hair mussed up from sleep.

Gradually letting the tension out, calming himself down. The terrible headache he woke up with is more or less bearable now.

_Now, what to do?_

Last night was no dream, and neither was whatever he had gone through long before that. Again looking down on himself he really couldn't see any differences at all.

(However, he can immediately tell the slight coldness to his skin and the pallor to it. But none hits harder then when he places a hand over his chest only to feel _nothing_.)

"What are you doing?"

He almost jumped out of his skin when a deep, gruff voice suddenly came from next to him.

"Father! Yo-you're already up-.."

The man simply scratches the back of his head - still groggy and half asleep. The action brought his attention to the wound from last night.

"-Your wound?"

"Hm?" Pulling the arm down, he took a look at the injury. "Looks good."

"Eh?" Scooting closer, he similarly inspects it. Sure enough, only a thin line remains of the cut. _'It's healed..'_

"Huh, I guess your saliva has healing properties. Hm. My tongue's doing fine too."

His skin may have become colder but that single line effectively heat up his face in mortification.

"..I am truly sorry for my misbehaviour.."

The priest heaves a long sigh as a response. "As far as I'm concerned, you were _dying_ of starvation. Although my action was not exactly excusable too."

Rolling the words around in his mind, one thing occurs to him. "..I'll have to feed on blood from now on."

"Just feed on me, then."

Looking at the priest in disbelief at the suggestion. "I can't do this to you!"

"Look-"Rubbing a hand down his face, "-You're the only one who managed to return _right_. You're the only clue we have to this problem. Also, a mild blood loss won't kill me."

He's pretty sure anyone with a sound mind wouldn't discuss this matter with such nonchalance, like he was counting the number of pillows on the bed. "Still, Father, to burden you with this-"

"Mikage."

"-Eh?"

"Mikage Eisuke. My name. It's easier later on, so you can drop the 'Father' thing."

"Well, it _is_ your title, so-" The priest's eyes narrows just a tad bit. "-I, I get it.., Mikage."

"Now that's more like it." The wide lopsided smile he gave is strangely charming. "I suppose I can call you Murasame in return? Don't look so surprised, everyone around here talks about you."

"I..didn't expect to be quite famous.." One after another. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Mikage rolls out of bed, facing away. "Whatever you feels like doing." He gave a shrug to that. "Just watch out for sunlight and silver-based items. Also don't stray too far from here."

_'From me,'_ so his piercing gaze say. And Ryo found himself trapped in those eyes.

Their little conversation falls at that. Mikage left shortly after leaving Ryo to roll around with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a breather(?) chapter of sorts :3  
> Mikage only had enough energy left to change him out of his bloody shirt before promptly passing out xDDDDD
> 
> mikage: don't worry it's mild   
> his Hb level: 6


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day, a new problem arise.

It's been a few months or so since then and they had fallen into a pattern of routine. Ryo come and goes at night since he can't travel in daylight - he can't withstand sunlight the way he is now and Mikage goes hunting at night. It's easier for them to move under the radar. Even so, they don't meet up as often. Only once or twice a week; certainly not as often as expected. Mikage suspects that Ryo purposely feeds as infrequent as possible, no doubt out of concern for _him_ instead.

_That idiot._

At least no news of a vampire suddenly collapsing from _self imposed_ anemia reached him yet.

The strings of missing people are still ongoing, though the frequency of cases seems to be tapering down. Strange indeed, considering how it had been going at the rate of roughly 2 to 3 people in a week. In a way its good news, but it also put everyone on edge, worried that it may just be the calm before the storm.

That, and then there's this new thing.

Whatever this is that required him to drag himself over to the laboratory this early in the morning.

Rubbing his forehead, he wills the headache away.

He walks up to a single door located deep inside the labyrinth that made up the church's internal structure. It is a rather nondescript piece compared to the rest of the place - just a simple, heavy wooden door, one that no one else dares to come near. The researchers don't really have good reputations among the priests, though he couldn't really blame them.

The lab itself is placed underground, allowing enough space for specialised equipments and for them to carry out their job.

Walking down the staircase feels like descending into hell itself. The irony of things.

At the end of the downward spiral is a solid metal gate serving as the last barrier between the lab and the ground floor. In a glance it appears like something pulled out of a dungeon. On his arrival the gate slowly rises, permitting his passage.

"Oh, you're here!"

Ever so _irritatingly_ cheerful. Seeing his face the first thing in the morning does _wonders_ to his mood. Despite practically living in the basement, he's sure rather bright. _Drugs, perhaps._ Mikage for one wouldn't be surprised if that is the case.

"What was it that's so important that I have to drag myself down here to see?"

Needle sighed in return though the grin remained in place. "Won't you at least fake some interest? You're no fun."

Mikage only narrowed his eyes behind his shades, entirely unwilling to be strung along. Unbothered, he walks ahead. "Hurry up, I'm short on sleep."

Another sigh.

"I'm pretty sure you've heard of it."

"Of what?"

The conversation comes to a pause as they reached a steel door marked with the church's cross. Unlatching the door, it swings open with a loud creak.

"The rumoured _'hunter'_ that'd been running wild lately."

A gust of cold air blows out from the room; strong enough to bite his skin through the coat. Needle is unfazed by the below freezing temperature. He's already too used to it.

"We've finally managed to get our hands on good, hard evidence."

"No wonder you looked so damn happy in this ungodly hour."

"Call it a blessing from the heavens."

_That's rich coming from a non-believer._

The lab room is not unoccupied. A few other researchers dressed in white lab coat are busy going back and forth between the samples and their notes. Right at the centre of the room is an examination table with the aforementioned 'hard evidence' lies in wait.

In a glance, it looks like any other dead bodies, but those who are already seasoned would be able to tell them apart easily. Unlike normal human corpse, a vampire's corpse are noticeably more _wasted_ \- skin dry and shrivelled, usually ashen grey. Fresh ones like these are hard to get since the corpse burns away under sunlight leaving only specks of dust and soot. But that's nothing new.

The _injuries_ sustained are.

"Are these knife wounds?"

"Quick as always. From what we gathered, it seems so. Otherwise it might have been inflicted by a short sword."

"But the _hunters_ in this region uses firearms, don't they?"

"Most of them, yes. Unlike in the eastern region where bladed weapons are more commonly used." He walks away from the table, towards one of the shelves lining the wall.

"Look at this." A tray was brought out. On the tray is a type of weapon with a distinct shape, stained with dried blood likely from the vampire.

Mikage raised an eyebrow at it. "A _shuriken_? Did it come together?"

"It was embedded inside the head of this guy. See, here." Indeed, there is a deep wound at the back of the corpse's head. To throw the weapon with that amount of force; whoever behind this case is undeniably _dangerous_. Though something seem to tug at the edge of his thought. Had he came across this somewhere before? 

"'Looks like you got something on your mind?" He glances back towards Needle to catch him with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile.

"Yeah, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

Needle simply hums in return. Mikage stared at the offending item long and hard, committing every lines and cracks to memory. It might come in handy later.

He had went back soon after. He doesn't have much use in all these complicated stuff, and neither had he wished to stay there any longer than necessary.

*

Night comes faster than expected, thanks to the mysterious newcomer. Whoever they are they really got everyone panicking. The higher ups that is.

A friend or an enemy?

They decided to expand their hunting ground in order to cover more areas in light of current situation. All in hope of either finding more hints to the puzzle or directly catching the troublemaker. Whichever comes first. Regardless his duty doesn’t see much change, so it's good.

Tonight is rather quiet, obviously lacking the usual howling in the distance. The wild animals in these areas are likely alarmed by the sudden increase in nocturnal human activities lately. Better avoid unnecessary interspecies conflict whenever possible. They may be born with claws and fangs, but they aren't the one who'd condone mindless killings.

Tall tree branches rustle in the cool night breeze. Crescent moon peeks out in between the passing thick clouds. The smoke from his cigarette disappears in grey wisps. Looks like there won't be much happening tonight. He turns around to retrace his path back home.

Walking slowly, he silently counts the days in his head. _When was the last time he came?_

_Last week?_

Strangely it felt much longer than that. With the amount that he takes, there's no way he can hold on for any longer. He should be coming over by now.

Is he getting worried?

Yeah, probably. It'll be a major problem if he gets shot down.

Or end up going berserk.

There's a tiny voice at the back of his head gleefully asking _"Is it reaaaaally just that?"_. He can swear the voice sounds like Needle, complete with that too wide grin of his.

He runs his hand through his hair in frustration, _'Why the hell am I getting worked up over this guy?'_

He blinked in mild surprise upon his return.

"Ah sorry. The door wasn't locked so I just excused myself in."

_Speak of the devil._

There he is sitting on his bed with a bright smile. He sure looks a lot better than Mikage had thought.

"..You're quite early tonight."

He looks sheepish at the question, spontaneously rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it's not like I have anything else to do..I guess I'm not yet used to this."

Understandable, he did have to shift his entire schedule _and_ routine to maintain a low profile. To his family and the villagers, he remains a missing person.

"So you still haven't seen them yet?"

"Like I can, the way I am right now." He shakes his head with a rueful expression. "What about you? You're unusually early yourself."

Shrugging his coat off, draping it over the chair. "Not much going on. Also there are already enough people out tonight."

"Why? Don't tell me there's an attack coming or something-"

"No, not that, fortunately." He turns around to see the other man sighs in relief.

"But something did happen, right? Or else you wouldn't be wearing that kind of expression."

Ryo's eyes are directly onto him. _How to say it?_

"There is a case. But I'm afraid it concerns you more than me." His eyes widened a little at the remark. "There's someone else hunting down vampires around here. From how things look they didn't bother waiting for the vampires to strike first."

"-And you're telling me to be careful?" A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips.

"..Just watch out."

"Will do."

"You're rather _calm_ about this." Mikage raised an eyebrow towards the other man.

"Would you believe me if I say I'm used to it?" The tone of his voice is light, like he's making some light hearted joke. He'd say it is so if not for the sharp glint in those eyes.

_Another one added in the long list of strange things._

"I'll simply take it at face value."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mikage is not a morning person xD and his closest friend is Needle. they have a love-hate relationship with each other xDDD  
> thank you for reading :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The case continues.

A few more weeks pass by, a few more weeks of time spent in naught.

The string of kidnappings has more or less stopped altogether, barring one or two cases (or sometime, attempts) once in a while. However, it was rather quickly replaced by cases of rampant vampire killings instead.

Several more bodies were brought back since then and they all carry the same pattern of injuries. Looking from the consistency of the pattern, the researchers are convinced that it was caused by _one_ person. And whoever is behind this is a _serious threat_ , regardless of their alignment.

He can attest to that fact himself, having seen the aftermath of the battle. The marks scattered around, the number of bodies, and the level of damage dealt both to the enemies and the surrounding structures. Though rather than a calculated fight, it seems more like a violent rampage.

What he have seen so far made it hard to think that all of them were the work of just a single person, certainly not with the number of cases each night.

Roughly, equal to the work of _4 to 5 highly skilled hunters_ every night. Sometimes more. With barely any traces left that lead back to the suspect; the only clue they have to solving this problem are the bodies and the weapon. The catch? The weapon itself is virtually _untraceable_. Origin and maker unknown, on top of it being practically foreign in this area. Around last week they contacted affiliating churches in the eastern region for help. At least, someone might know something there. Hopefully.

"Aah, it's frustrating, isn't it?~ Weeks of hard work and we're still just grasping at the straws."

"You keep complaining yet your grin gets wider."

There they are sitting on the bench outside the main hall staring off into the distance. It's peaceful today too. It's supposed to be around autumn time but why the hell is it so damn _warm_.

"That's the fun in working, my dear friend. It's the challenge, works like drugs." Needle does sounds and looks quite high. He's practically melting into the bench in the heat.

"Fuck all that, violence is better. Straight to the point." Smoking like a chimney, Mikage had lost count after the tenth stick. Though he's sure he himself is burning at this point. "Any news from the eastern side?"

"Nothing yet. Considering current situations, a delay is inevitable." Needle shifts his gaze towards Mikage. "You really don't remember where you see that thing?"

The question got his mind back to that point as he slowly exhales the smoke. "Yeah, can't quite recall it. But it definitely feels familiar.."

"Maybe from the central region? The headquarters? You did come over from there."

_The central..?_

"So, how are things going on your side? Found the perp yet?"

Ryo's curious question snapped him back to reality. He was too deep in his thoughts that when he realised it, it was already dark outside.

"Nah, not yet." Scratching his non-itchy head, this guy sure gives him a lot of headache lately. "We can barely catch his trail."

"You guys got it really tough." The man stands up and gives a big stretch. "But it’s tough having nothing to do too. I suppose I'll return for now-"

"-Wait," Ryo turns around to face him.

"Hm?"

"Won't you join us? The church, that is."

His expression changes to that of a thoughtful one. "Mm.., I can, I suppose, since I don't have anything else to do. Ah, but I don't think I can help with fighting or anything.."

"That part doesn't matter. Only that, it'll probably be beneficial to you as well. You're less likely to be attacked if you stay here."

Momentary silence falls in between them, each with their thoughts running miles per hour. What felt like an eternity is later broken by the man still standing in front of him.

"I think I need some time to think this over. I'll get to you once I'm done."

That had been his answer then.

No, not exactly an answer, just a filler for the time being.

And Mikage hadn't lied; it would be better for him to stay around. Vampires don't usually come close to the churches. Not because of the crosses littering around the place, but rather the imminent threat of being shot down the moment they got sniffed out. And how likely it is to find one living inside it?

Plus it cuts the time and energy going back and forth between here and the village too.

_You really like having him around, don't you~?_

That's it, he's losing it. He doesn't need another Needle living inside his head. The one outside is already enough to stress him out.

_Yeah, I do. So what?_

What, eh?

Silently, he opted to stare toward his coat draped over the back of the chair. The silver threading of the cross embroidered into the fabric glittered in the candlelight.

Ryo feels...familiar to him. Sure, they talked a lot. Or rather, the other man talked about himself a lot. And the villagers also talked about him a lot. But there's something else nagging at the back of his head.

It feels like they've met each other before, long before any of this.

_"Maybe from the central region? The headquarters? You did come over from there."_

The central..?

_"Would you believe me if I say I'm used to it?"_

The flame of the candle flickered.

A flash of an image crossed his mind.

"It can't be-.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a fairly short update :3  
> we're slowly getting there  
> thank you for reading :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another piece found, another branch reveals itself.

Morning came early for him today; a most rare occurrences to ever happen to him. Blinking his eyes to ease of the dryness he vaguely registers the sound of clock ticking, echoing in the enclosed space of the bedroom. It's been a few days since then but he still could not make sense of his own thoughts.

It couldn't be, can it?

If he were to put one and one together, the story does make sense. Maybe a little _too much_ sense. So much it made Mikage rejects it altogether.

His absence from the village, his unexpected return after allegedly involved in an _accident_ , and-

-It was dark then, almost pitch black. Couldn't afford to light up the lamp in case someone is awake. He'd been dizzy from the acute blood loss too so he can't really say for sure.

Scars, all over and across. He mostly noticed the large ones, and they don’t really seem like impact scars or anything you'd sustain after a regular _accident_. They look distinctively more like _claw marks_. Deep and long scars running parallel to each other with jagged edges raised on healed wounds. Some other may have been stab wounds or gunshot wounds.

It was jarring, like two unfitting pictures spliced together. Or perhaps it was due to how his mind viewed the other man.

_"How are you today?" A familiar voice greeted him as he stepped into the booth._

_Ah, it's him again. Wonder how many times is it already?_

_"Just fine. How's it going on your side?" Strangely he's feeling a little giddy today. He's sure nothing is off with him the last time he checked..._

_When was that again?_

_"Ah, the clinic is as busy as always. There's never a shortage on sick people around here. But we managed, and they get to go home healthy. It's quite fulfilling..._

_..Just-"_

_"Just?"_

_"-Just that recently there's been an increase in numbers of patients coming in with that strange disease."_

_That’s...worrying. He knows exactly what is going on, but certainly never to this degree._

_"We're currently doing all we can to investigate the cause. It's a new thing to us, too." Work for the time being is simply a growing pile of frustration. In between active attacks and the spreading disease, there's barely a time to breath._

_Today is yet another busy day, but for the moment he can find some peace in this space._

_"..Father, can I ask you something?"_

_"What is it?"_

_"Do all sins be forgiven?"_

_Such a... strange question. To be asking_ him _of all people that kind of question..-_

_"Yeah."_

_"..Even the sin of committing murder?"_

_What?_

_He hadn't expected for the momentary peace to be disrupted in such way; to hear that from his on and off companion. The man didn't even bother to cover it as a 'what if’, leaving the implication to hang heavily in the air. However he decided to let it pass through, nothing good ever comes out of assumption over something you're unsure of._

_"Of course, should you repent and change your way for the better."_

_The pause that follows gripped him in anticipation in a way that he couldn't really wrap his head around. Shortly after he can hear what sounds like a long, relieved sigh._

_"Of course..I'm sorry, it must've made you uncomfortable."_

_As if the man can hear his frantic thoughts._

_And their conversation that morning had plagued him since, even though eventually it would've fade into the corners of his mind._

*

By the time he finished sorting out his thoughts the sun is already quite high up. Glancing towards his coat still hanging at its usual spot, he rolled over the possible choices in this situation.

Confront him directly? There's a feeling he wouldn't spill it. He did manage to keep things as vague as possible, enough to be read as something 'common', or at least not as bad as the man himself probably feel about it.

So how to do this?

Shrugging his coat on, he made his exit.

However, there's two outcomes to all of these. Either he hit the mark, or he missed it. Regardless his offer still stands.

The man would make one hell of a man-power, though maybe he can use some self-control if what Mikage saw was really the man's handiwork.

Deep in his thoughts, he had barely seen Needle running straight towards him. He managed to stop just in time before the collision. After catching his breath, Needle faced him with obvious glee.

"Mikage! We found a match!"

*

Today is truly a strange one; never before he'd felt a shred of _excitement_ while making his way to the underground lab. Perhaps there is something wrong with him somewhere.

Putting that aside, the prospect of finally getting some answer to this convoluted puzzle is sure to make anyone feel excited. The past weeks of tedious work hopefully would start paying off soon.

The underground lab appeared unchanged from his last visit - the same bone chilling temperature, scientists in white coat running around, half finished experiments scattered all over the place. Nothing seems out of place, or so he had thought.

"Hey, long time no see buddy."

Probably had heard their louder than usual footsteps rushing into the place, the man had turned around to greet them as they arrived. A tall young man with jet black hair and eyes like a hawk, standing beside the examination table seemingly inspecting the item laid out on it. Certainly a face Mikage had not seen in ages.

"Vega, when did you return?"

"Just now. I was roaming around the eastern side when the message got there." The man returned to the item in front of him while keeping the topic at hand. "They're super busy there too, you know, with rampant cases of over-feeding. So I got back as fast as I can once I heard the message."

"So what'd you found out?" The news of troubles over on the other side of the map is quite concerning, however they currently do not have the freedom to spare time for that.

"Before that I wanna ask you one thing," He directed his gaze towards Mikage.

"Mikage, you came from the central's Headquarters right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Have you heard of the _'Shadow Corps'_?"

_Shadow Corps_? Where have he heard that? Or rather, when? He couldn't put his finger on it yet it doesn't sound completely foreign to him.

Sensing his conflict, Vega continues.

"The Shadow Corps are basically a special unit placed directly under the High Council of the Headquarters and they're supposedly made up of select members of highly trained Hunters."

" _Supposedly_?" Needle voiced out his curiosity over the wording after staying oddly quiet throughout the conversation.

Vega looked a little sheepish over the question, opting to scratch his non-itchy head. "Well, that's what the rumours said."

"And how do you _suppose_ a _rumour_ would be of use in this case?"

"Haha, well not much, I guess, had it be a simple rumour." His demeanour took a change at the end of the sentence. "It _actually_ exists, only kept in the shadows. They are a real special unit under direct command of the High Council. Only that they're not just any highly trained Hunters, and they carry a wildly different function than us."

"Which is..?"

"They're specifically trained to kill vampires in high social standings, make them to look like accidents. That, including any and every _humans_ identified to be working with them."

The two men before him stared at him wide eyed, clearly shocked by the information. For the Church Alliance to employ such unit, no wonder it’s been kept under locks.

Figures with high social status are immensely influential to the extent of standing above the law. No matter what rules you impose they would simply brush it off, making them impossible to control. Thus, that is most likely the reason why this unit exists - rather than fighting them on diplomatic ground, they _cut_ them off completely.

"In other word, _assassins_."

"Yeah, exactly." Vega gestured towards the item still waiting on the table, "This weapon - this _shuriken_ \- is specially produced for that unit. So whoever you're chasing after is most likely a member of it. Only that-"

The way the sentence ends caught Mikage's attention. "Only that-?"

Eyebrows knitted in a grim expression, Vega stared hard at the aforementioned item.

"-The Shadow Corps were completely _wiped out_ about a year ago."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to church of BADAN, we have endless supply of caffeine  
> also, i love mysteries xDDDD  
> thank you for reading :3

**Author's Note:**

> i am officially that mad writer with multiple ongoing multichaptered fics running at the same time. fml  
> what can i do, i can't really control my train of thought, and brain have too many ideas  
> just take this  
> characterization is probably off by a mile *shrugs*  
> thank you for reading


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